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Personal Finance · head to head

Firefly III vs FloQast

Firefly III logo

Firefly III

Personal Finance

Free, open source, self-hosted personal finance manager with double-entry style accounting

From
Free
Rated
-
FloQast logo

FloQast

Accounting

Close management software for accounting teams

From
$29/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Firefly III has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Firefly III there is no official managed hosting, so a non-technical user has no easy on-ramp the way Actual Budget offers with its paid hosted sync.; FloQast no pricing is published, and the vendor states packages scale with business outcomes rather than seat count, which gives a buyer no unit to estimate against
  • They diverge on capability: Firefly III covers Double-entry style ledger, FloQast covers Close management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Firefly III and FloQast actually diverge.

Attributes where Firefly III and FloQast differ
AttributeFirefly IIIFloQast
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, DockerWeb
CategoryPersonal FinanceAccounting
FoundedUnknown2013

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Firefly III

  • Double-entry style ledger
  • Multi-currency accounts
  • Bill and subscription tracking
  • Rule engine
  • Reports and charts
  • API access

Only in FloQast

  • Close management
  • Reconciliation
  • Flux analysis
  • Audit prep
  • Team collaboration
  • NetSuite
  • QuickBooks
  • Sage

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Firefly III

  • A self-hoster already running a home server or NAS who wants their financial ledger on the same infrastructurenot FloQast
  • Someone who wants double-entry style accuracy rather than simple envelope budgetingnot FloQast
  • A privacy-focused user who refuses to put financial data on any third-party server, hosted or otherwisenot FloQast
  • A developer who wants API access to build custom bank import scripts for accounts with no standard connectornot FloQast

FloQast

  • Managing the accounting close with checklists and reconciliationsnot Firefly III
  • Automating account reconciliation and compliance workflowsnot Firefly III

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Firefly III

  • There is no official managed hosting, so a non-technical user has no easy on-ramp the way Actual Budget offers with its paid hosted sync.
  • The double-entry-influenced model is less intuitive for newcomers than simple envelope budgeting, and the learning curve is real.
  • Automatic bank sync depends on the community-run importer and third-party connectors, and coverage and reliability vary a lot by bank and country.
  • Mobile access is via a web interface rather than a polished native app, which is a step behind Actual Budget or Lunch Money on phones.
  • Because there is no company behind it, security patching and feature development depend entirely on volunteer maintainer time.

FloQast

  • No pricing is published, and the vendor states packages scale with business outcomes rather than seat count, which gives a buyer no unit to estimate against
  • The product is split into five separately packaged solution categories
  • Every route to a figure runs through a personalised demo

Pricing, plan by plan

Firefly III

Free
  • Firefly IIIFree
    • Full functionality, self-hosted
    • No usage limits
    • Community support, donations accepted

FloQast

$29/month
  • StandardFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Close management
    • Reconciliation

Which should you pick?

Choose Firefly III if

  • You need double-entry style ledger.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Docker.
  • You also want multi-currency accounts.

Choose FloQast if

  • You need close management.
  • You also want reconciliation.

Questions people ask

Is Firefly III or FloQast better?
Neither clearly leads. Firefly III starts at Free and FloQast at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Firefly III or FloQast?
Firefly III has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Firefly III and $29/month for FloQast.
Does Firefly III or FloQast run on more platforms?
Firefly III runs on Web, Linux, Docker. FloQast runs on Web.
Can I use Firefly III for free?
Yes. Firefly III has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. FloQast starts at $29/month.
What is Firefly III best used for?
Firefly III is most often used for a self-hoster already running a home server or nas who wants their financial ledger on the same infrastructure, someone who wants double-entry style accuracy rather than simple envelope budgeting, a privacy-focused user who refuses to put financial data on any third-party server, hosted or otherwise, a developer who wants api access to build custom bank import scripts for accounts with no standard connector. Of those, a self-hoster already running a home server or nas who wants their financial ledger on the same infrastructure and someone who wants double-entry style accuracy rather than simple envelope budgeting are not what FloQast is typically brought in for.
What can Firefly III do that FloQast cannot?
Firefly III covers Double-entry style ledger, Multi-currency accounts, Bill and subscription tracking, Rule engine. FloQast covers Close management, Reconciliation, Flux analysis, Audit prep.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Firefly III: Can I pay someone to host Firefly III for me?

Not through the core project; some third-party providers sell Firefly III hosting independently, but there is no official managed service.

FloQast: How much does FloQast cost?

FloQast does not publish specific pricing with dollar amounts. Instead, the company offers customized packages that scale with business outcomes rather than seat count. Pricing is tailored to each organization's unique needs, scope, and scale.

Source
Firefly III: Does it support multiple currencies?

Yes, natively, including accounts and transactions in different currencies.

FloQast: Does FloQast charge per user?

No. FloQast explicitly states 'No Per-User Fees. Pricing Built Around Value, Not Headcount.' The company's pricing is customized to organizational requirements rather than based on the number of users.

Source
Firefly III: Is it really free with no paid tier?

Yes, the software is free and open source under the AGPL; the project accepts donations but sells nothing.

FloQast: What is FloQast's pricing model?

FloQast uses a value-based pricing approach with customizable packages across solutions like Close Management, Compliance & Risk, Financial Reporting, and AI Automation. Each organization receives a personalized pricing recommendation based on their unique challenges and objectives.

Source
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